Italian Recipes
1430 recipes found
Tuna Puttanesca
Canned tuna is a complementary addition to the punchy, briny flavors of puttanesca. It’s also a logical way to add protein to the dish when you’re already reaching into the pantry for the majority of the other ingredients. Though shallots aren’t typically included in puttanesca, thinly sliced shallot deepens the flavor of the garlic and adds a note of sweetness to balance the acidic flavors of the sauce. You can use canned tuna or tuna jarred in olive oil here; canned tuna will break apart and become distributed throughout the sauce, whereas jarred tuna will remain in larger pieces. Serve the pasta with a generous sprinkle of parsley and crushed red pepper on top, and a glass of chilled red wine on the side.
Oven-Braised Short Rib Ragu With Rigatoni
If you've never made a short rib ragu, start here. This recipe shares the best techniques and methods so you can make a perfectly seasoned ragu using the (best quality) ingredients you have on hand.
Sgroppino
Traditionally, a Sgroppino is an Italian palate cleanser, though it’s equally as suitable served as a cocktail or dessert. Whatever time of day you choose to make this boozy, lemony combination, you’ll want to drink it quickly once it’s in front of you. The slushy, lightly fizzy texture comes from a combination of sorbet, vodka and Prosecco — but, if you have another dry, light sparkling wine, that works well, too.
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Mozzarella in Carrozza (Italian Fried Mozzarella Sandwiches)
Mild mozzarella cheese encased between plain white bread may seem like an unassuming sandwich, but breaded and deep-fried, it's a deeply satisfying sandwich with a dramatic and ultra-gooey cheese pull.
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Piadina (Italian Flatbread Sandwich)
To make a stellar piadiana, fold a freshly griddled flatbread over a heap of peppery arugula and creamy stracchino or burrata. Customize it further with your favorite fillings—just be sure to not overload it.
Gelato
This Italian frozen dessert looks almost identical to ice cream, but has a few key differences: Compared to its cousin, gelato is made with more milk than cream, and uses fewer or no eggs, instead leaning on other stabilizers to keep it from becoming icy as it freezes. Here, cornstarch is the stabilizer for this easy at-home version, providing a smooth, creamy texture. Because gelato has a lower butterfat percentage than ice cream, it’s best served slightly warmer; for best results, let it soften on the counter for a couple minutes before serving. This recipe makes a basic vanilla gelato, but you can easily make different flavors by adding mix-ins such as chopped chocolate, dulce de leche, or chocolate ganache once the gelato is churned.
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Lemon Ricotta Cake
With bright notes of citrus and richness from ricotta, this subtly sweet cake is what we want to eat for breakfast every day.
Negroni Sbagliato
Trade the gin in a Negroni for Prosecco and you get the Negroni Sbagliato, a happy accident that translates to “wrong” or “mistaken” Negroni. The story goes that a bartender at Bar Basso in Milan grabbed Prosecco instead of gin to top off a Negroni. The result was still bittersweet like a Negroni, but also festive and fizzy from the bubbles. This “wrong Negroni” is so right at the start of a meal or night, or to sip on all day or for the duration of a cocktail party. For even less booze, consider the Americano, a highball that trades the Sbagliato’s sparkling wine for soda water.
Milano-Torino
Before the Negroni, there was the Americano, and before the Americano there was the Milano-Torino. This bittersweet combination of Campari (from Milan) and sweet vermouth (from Turin) is served on the rocks with an orange slice. While you can use any red bitter or sweet red vermouth you like, if you’re looking to hew closest to the classic, reach for some Campari, and a sweet vermouth from Turin, such as Carpano Antica Formula, Cocchi Vermouth di Torino or Del Professore Rosso Vermouth.
Bicicletta
The popular lore goes that the Bicicletta, a classic Italian aperitivo, was named after the wobbling mode of transportation used by elderly men after a spirited afternoon or evening. However the drink came to be named, the three-part combination of red bitter liqueur, dry white wine and soda water is bright, refreshing and as easy to make as riding a bike.
Black Pepper and Onion Spaghetti
This rendition of Florentine spaghetti with red onions is so superlative, it has remained on the menu at Locanda Vini e Olii since the restaurant opened in Brooklyn in 2001. Michele Baldacci, the chef and co-owner, recommends a mixture of white and red onions for a more delicate, saucy result, and cooking them in a covered pot so they slowly braise in olive oil and their own juices. The sweetness of the onions is accented by tarragon and black pepper, plus optional grated cheese (which can be omitted for vegan diners). “We never add anything [else], we’re boring,” Mr. Baldacci said, but reckons livers would be delicious.
Ravioli
This easy method for making ravioli relies on a food processor to do much of the kneading, making it beginner-friendly and fairly hands-off for a homemade pasta. The dough is filled with a simple ricotta filling, but stuffing it with a more substantial meat or vegetable filling would be equally delicious. (Just keep in mind that whatever you use should be firm enough to hold up as the pasta cooks.) Toss ravioli in any number of classic Italian-type sauces, such as pesto, tomato or alfredo, or plan ahead and freeze the uncooked ravioli for fresh pasta at a moment’s notice (see Tip 1).
Zeppole
Warm, fluffy and dusted generously with sugar, these rustic doughnuts have an ancient Roman history but are now fixtures at Italian-American street fairs. For a sweet treat at home, zeppole can be made with everyday pantry ingredients and no special equipment. The dough comes together quickly — it’s wet and sticky, more like a batter. The bite-sized doughnuts are formed by scooping tablespoonfuls of the dough into hot oil (no shaping required!), and they puff and brown as they cook. Finish them with a classic sprinkling of powdered sugar, roll them in granulated sugar for added crunch, or try a combination of granulated sugar and cinnamon.
Cannoli
Although the filling for traditional Sicilian cannoli is made with sheep’s-milk ricotta, which is a little funkier and more complex than cow’s milk, it’s hard to find in the United States, so just look for the absolute best-quality whole-milk ricotta you can find (preferably one that’s locally made). The ingredients are fairly easy to find, but you will need some equipment for this recipe: a set of eight 5 1/2- to 6-inch cannoli molds, which you can easily purchase online.
Mussels and Cod Bucatini With Spicy Tomato Sauce
Simple yet celebratory, this hearty seafood pasta is a party dish that your guests will want to tuck into. White wine-steamed mussels and tomato-poached cod top a mound of bucatini coated in a buttery, brothy sauce. Calabrian chile paste adds depth of flavor to the tomato sauce and a small hit of heat. Of course, you can use as much of it as you — and your guests — can handle. If this dish is served on its own, it’s enough to feed eight. As part of a feast, it’s easily 12 servings or more. For smaller celebrations or a weeknight meal, it can be halved easily.
Zeppole con le Alici (Fried Anchovy Balls)
Each bite of these anchovy-stuffed fried dough rounds begins with a perfectly crisp exterior that gives way to a yeasty, pillowy interior. Once you hit the fish at the center, you are in briny ecstasy. Simple yet addictive, these finger foods are often served at the start of a meal or as a snack at festive Italian and Italian-American gatherings. If you are cooking for vegetarians, feel free to stuff some balls with a sundried tomato or an olive instead. If making yeasted dough is not in the cards for you, you can use a pound of prepared pizza dough from a supermarket or pizza shop to achieve similar enough results.
Insalata di Frutti di Mare (Italian Seafood Salad)
Crisp and zesty, this version of the classic Italian dish uses shrimp, scallops and calamari but works well with any seafood you can get your hands on. It can be served as an appetizer for a large feast or as the main course of a smaller meal. Steaming the seafood instead of boiling it makes it more tender and simultaneously gives it a snappier bite. Submerged in an abundant amount of tart dressing while it cools in the refrigerator, the seafood, along with fennel and celery, ends up infused with serious flavor. Spicy jarred cherry peppers add a welcome hit of heat, but sweet cherry peppers can be substituted.
Maritozzi (Sweet Cream Buns)
Soft and stuffed with cream, these buttery buns also have a smear of jam for an additional pop of sweetness in this version of the traditional Italian treat. Maritozzi are a variation of quaresimali, Roman breads made with almond flour and sweetened with honey and dried fruit. Maritozzi are usually made without dried fruit and they’re small, the size of your cupped hand, distinct with their generous filling of cream. Sold in bakeries across Rome, and increasingly around the world, they’re a fun project to make at home too since the steps can be done ahead of time and in stages. This version is tangy with buttermilk and spiced with a hint of nutmeg. They are best enjoyed soon after assembly and can be finished with a sprinkling of confectioners’ sugar for a bit of extra flair.
Mortadella Sandwich With Ricotta and Pistachio Pesto
Mortadella may just be the best sandwich meat there is. Run through with translucent spots of pork fat and sometimes slivers of pistachio, it’s tender yet springy when sliced deli-thin. Here, it’s layered with milky sweet ricotta to balance its savoriness, while pistachios add crunch and basil freshness. Homemade focaccia turns this simple sandwich into a life-affirming meal, but reheated bakery-bought squares have a similar effect. If your deli counter sells mortadella, ask for it very thinly sliced.
Fast and Easy Focaccia
This is possibly the fastest start-to-finish yeasted bread you can make. Fluffy and rich with olive oil, this tender focaccia is great on its own or swiped through soups, stews and sauces, and it’s especially wonderful with delicate sandwich fillings, like mortadella and ricotta. Because it’s soft on the inside, a touch crackly on top and crisp on the bottom, it doesn’t squish or squeeze out fillings when you bite into it. Instead, it cradles them like bubble wrap, keeping the ribboned meat in distinct layers. This bread gets its airiness from a very wet dough, which bubbles in the rising and in the oven. Bread flour bakes into a slightly sturdier focaccia, but all-purpose flour works as well. The dough comes together in a minute in a food processor, but if you don’t have that machine, you can mix the dough in a mixer or by hand. The bread will end up a little less chewy, but is still delicious. It’s amazing the day it’s made, but still good the next day too. Stale leftovers can be toasted into croutons.
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The Key Techniques for Perfect Risotto
All about the ingredients, the equipment, and the techniques required to make perfect risotto every time.
Plum Crostata
This showstopping Italian-style fruit tart nestles juicy ripe plums — any type, or substitute apricots — into a sweet pastry shell. This recipe makes enough for two crusts: Save the second in the freezer so you can make a second tart any time you like.
Aperol Spritz
A popular Italian aperitivo, or pre-dinner drink, the Aperol spritz is traditionally served with a few light snacks and meant to wake up the appetite before dinner. This cocktail gets its bright orange hue from Aperol, a bittersweet liqueur made from rhubarb and digestive herbs. Easy to commit to memory, this recipe follows the classic ratio of 3 parts Prosecco, 2 parts Aperol and 1 part sparkling water, but you can add another ounce of Aperol, if you’d like a stronger sip. Aperol spritz is traditionally served in large wine goblets, but will be delicious in any glass you have on hand.
Lemon Pesto Pasta
While not as well known as pesto alla Genovese, lemon pesto is a delicious variation that adds a jolt of brightness. Used in Italy as both a pasta sauce or spread for crostini, its preparation is similar to classic pesto by combining basil with cheese, nuts and extra-virgin olive oil, but the addition of the lemon zest and juice gives it a unique flavor and color. This simple weeknight pasta sauce comes together quickly in the food processor and can be made ahead, as it keeps in the refrigerator for up to one week. You can also drizzle the pesto over a Caprese salad or grilled zucchini, or smear it over crusty, toasted bread as a topping, as they do in Italy.